GLENDALE, Ariz. — The streak is now seven games in which the Flyers’ penalty kill has allowed a goal. Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss in San Jose was the first of those seven that was a one-goal loss. Joe Pavelski was left all alone at the side of the net to erase a Flyers lead in the second period.

It’s been a deeply-rooted problem for the Flyers. They’ve been in the bottom third of the league for the past five seasons and rank second-worst this season.

Something clearly needs to change. What is it?

“It’s a good question,” said Scott Laughton, who has seen more ice time on the penalty kill than any other Flyers forward so far. “Execution, clearing pucks and stuff like that. I mean, (Saturday) night’s tough. He makes a hell of a play to the goalline. It’s tough for our guys on the ice. They’ve got five. We’ve got four. It’s tough. I’m not sure the answer for that. We’ve got to just keep working at it and keep climbing up and I think we will. These guys care in the room. Everyone knows that. I think one thing that we can definitely do better is blocking shots. As forwards we can block more pucks and stop them from getting to our net and getting to scrums.”

There’s plenty of blame to go around. The Flyers don’t have a goalie in the top 40 in the NHL in shorthanded save percentage. While they have undoubtedly improved in up-ice pressure, the Flyers continue to look lost when the opposition sets up in the Flyers’ zone.

The Flyers have been preaching the need to get better, but also haven’t done much about it. Players say that there have been more tweaks than wholesale changes to the penalty kill system.

“We have to get better,” general manager Ron Hextall said. “If you look at the numbers around the league they’re a little inflated right now. We’ll wait and see how things shake out a little bit here, but yeah, it’s something we have to address on a daily basis for sure.

“I think we give too many chances up in high-value scoring areas, in my opinion.”

Two weeks ago, the Flyers weren’t doing much right whether they were shorthanded or not.

Almost everything else has improved around the team and they have five of a possible six points so far on their four-game road trip, but the success of the trip as a whole, according to Hextall, will all come down to Monday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. They’ll face the Coyotes again in Philadelphia on Thursday in Philadelphia.

“I think our commitment to defense, our cleanliness has been better,” Hextall said. “It really comes down to an attitude. When players are dialed in, players are playing hard, playing the right way, all the analytics, all the numbers, your feel for the game is good. That’s what it’s about. Analytics aren’t first. Players buying in, playing the right way, playing hard, being ready for the game, that’s when you play well. That’s when everything else follows and the wins follow. I like the way we’ve played. In saying that, we can play better.”

Elliott injured

During one of the drills in Sunday’s practice, Travis Konecny bowled over his goaltender when going for a loose puck at the net.

Brian Elliott was down in a heap, holding his head. Two athletic trainers came to attend to him on the ice and after a couple minutes, he left the ice under his own power. Hextall said it was too soon to tell if the injury would keep Elliott from playing Monday night. Considering Cal Pickard played Saturday night, Elliott was likely due to go back in the net against the Coyotes.

If there’s help coming, it won’t be Michal Neuvirth in the short-term. He was one of four players who took the ice for a practice on Friday, but then went home to be evaluated by doctors for an apparent “lower-body injury.”

“Neuvy looks like he’s gonna be day-to-day,” Hextall said, “probably three or four.”

That means if the Flyers need to make a recall it would likely be Alex Lyon, who got the overtime win for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Saturday night. When asked if he was getting to a point where he couldn’t trust even carrying Neuvirth on the roster, Hextall said, “We make a lot of decisions about the club as we go along.”

Loose Pucks

Jori Lehterä (hand) and Oskar Lindblom (foot) both practiced after blocking shots in Saturday night’s game against the Sharks. … Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere did not take part in Sunday’s practice. He was given a maintenance day, but will be good to go Monday against the Coyotes. … Based on Sunday’s practice, it appears as though Tyrell Goulbourne and Andrew MacDonald will be healthy scratches again Monday.